A camshaft for installation in a reciprocating-piston internal combustion engine of this kind is known from DE 101 48 243 A1. In the case of this camshaft, the sliding cam units have, on the outer circumference thereof, bearing locations which are guided in sliding bearings supported on the internal combustion engine. Here, the width of the bearing location corresponds to the width of the sliding bearing plus the travel of the sliding cam unit in the axial direction. Overall, therefore, the sliding bearing requires that the camshaft should have a large extent in the axial direction, as a result of which a large installation space is required, and this is felt to be disadvantageous. Moreover, as a result the base shaft of the camshaft is guided only indirectly in the radial direction by means of the internal and external splines of the sliding cam units and of the base shaft. This is also regarded as not being the optimum since the base shaft of the camshaft, which is connected on the input side to the crank mechanism of the reciprocating-piston internal combustion engine, is not guided with sufficient accuracy.